“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.” (Luke 10:13-15)
There are people who go to church almost every Sunday and fail to repent, believe, and follow Jesus. I do not know who they are because I don’t know hearts, but I suspect I’ve known at least three. I do know these people exist because of this Scripture. This is a huge warning not to go to church every Sunday and learn about Jesus and not repent and believe and follow Him because you will not be lifted to the heavens. You will go down to Hades. It is my personal belief that there are different levels of Hades as there are different levels of heaven. I believe that non-believers are held in a level of Hades without God and that believers are held in a level of heaven with God until the final judgment when we will all meet Jesus face to face. You may disagree with me and that’s fine because the Bible doesn’t give us a clear definitive answer.
I don’t like this Scripture because it’s unlike Jesus to call down a curse on cities or people. Curses are associated more with the Old Testament. Prophet Elisha called down a curse on men who made fun of him for being bald. But Jesus performed most of His miracles in the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. These people knew Jesus but failed to repent, believe, and follow Jesus. They are like people today who go to church every Sunday and fail to repent, believe, and follow Jesus. This is a warning. If you are one of these people you harm the Christian faith, and Jesus has called down a curse on you. Either repent and believe or stop going to church because otherwise you will be more severely punished than non-believers who don’t go to church.
Father God, it makes no sense to me that people who go to church fail to repent, believe, and follow Your Son. I know you still love them even though they lead people away from you, so I pray Your Holy Spirit will extinguish the enemy within them and reach out to them with power to open their eyes so they see the need to repent, believe Jesus is the Messiah, and follow Him. We all need Our Savior. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.
I agree with you, I do not like this scripture either. I also agree that it is unlike Jesus to be so stern. I guess I know one person that goes to church every Sunday and does not act like a Christian. I don’t know his heart. Only Jesus does. I couldn’t even guess if he has asked for forgiveness for his wrongdoings. I hope he has. He hasn’t been able to give a genuine apology to the people he has wronged, so I hope that it is more comfortable for him to talk to Jesus and ask forgiveness. Maybe I need to try and look at the whole situation from a different perspective. I forgive, even though I have not had a genuine apology. So, maybe I just need to be satisfied that it is resolved on my end, and pray that he is able to repent for his sins to the One that really matters.
Thank you for that! So well said! I’m going to add one thing to your statement because Jesus thinks you matter too. Matthew 23-24: “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.